An internal combustion engine produces power by applying a torque on a rotating shaft or driveshaft. A turbocharger is a device that increases the power of the engine using a portion of the thermal energy of the exhaust of the engine. In general, as the engine speed increases, the power boost generated by the turbocharger increases. A wastegate is a component of the turbocharger that regulates the amount of power boost generated by the turbocharger by controlling the amount of exhaust directed into the turbine of the turbocharger. The wastegate causes some of the exhaust to bypass the turbine. Typically, the wastegate is acted upon by a wastegate actuator such that the wastegate remains in a closed position and all of the exhaust is directed into the turbine of the turbocharger. When preset pressure limits are exceeded, for example the pressure in an exhaust manifold of the engine, the actuator progressively opens the wastegate thereby allowing a portion of the exhaust to bypass the turbine.
The wastegate actuator includes a housing and an actuator rod. Activation of the wastegate actuator causes the actuator rod to engage a wastegate shaft and thereby move the wastegate from a closed position to an open position. Conventional turbochargers use air vacuum actuation to activate the wastegate actuator. Typically, one end of the actuator rod is coupled to a wastegate shaft using a pin and clevis or a pin and bushing. However, such an actuator rod end configuration deteriorates and develops excessive clearance through wear leading to decreased performance and even failure of the wastegate actuator and even the turbocharger itself.